


Warrior Dash

by happy29



Series: Running towards each other [3]
Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 14:39:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8106199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happy29/pseuds/happy29
Summary: Fraser and Kowalski run the Warrior Dash mud run with Stella and Vecchio watching from the sidelines.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Butterflyghost and I finished our mud run and I can't wait to do it again. It was by far the most exciting and challenging thing I have ever accomplished in my entire life. With the exception of a tweaked thigh muscle, we fared pretty well. If you want to check out the adventure for yourselves, there's a link to a you tube video at the end of the story. Enjoy!

 

 

“Explain to me again why Vecchio is going with us.” Ray stood as still as his energized body would allow and let Fraser adjust the headstrap for the camera he would be wearing to record their mud run. Ray shot a finger in the direction of his head. “And why am I the one that has to wear this thing?”

Fraser stilled his fingers just above Ray’s left ear and gave his partner a sheepish grin. “Because your head circumference is smaller than mine and the head strap doesn’t fit me. And Ray and Stella wanted to watch us, maybe take a few pictures at the finish line.”

“No, he’s going because he wants to watch me fall flat on my face.” Ray tried not to fidget as Fraser worked on the head strap but he was full of energy and excitement for the upcoming race.

“Well, given the amount of rain we had last night and this morning, that is likely to happen to both of us.”

“Freak.” Ray leaned forward and stole a quick kiss. “What you mean is Vecchio ordered the wrong size knowing that I’d have to wear the thing even though it was his idea to record it, thus recording _your_ every move in the mud. He may have married Stella, but I'm pretty sure he still has a thing for you.”

“I don’t think it was intentional on his part.” Fraser tapped Kowalski on the tip of the nose with his finger. “And he does not have a thing for me.” Fraser shuddered at the very thought. “There. You’re good to go.”

“I don’t look like a freak?” Ray questioned as he felt the camera and head strap with his fingers.

“Hardly.” Fraser tugged on his ear and lowered his voice. “You look good.” Fraser cleared his throat and stepped further into Ray’s personal space. “You look _really_ good. Not that you didn’t look good before. But all that running has-” Fraser stumbled over his words. “Dammit- why do we have to leave in ten minutes?”

“You’re looking pretty damn good too, Ben.” Ray pulled Fraser in for a kiss and promptly smacked him in the forehead with the camera. “Sorry!”

Fraser pressed the palm of his hand into Ray’s chest, wincing as he stepped backwards. “Hold that thought for later,” he smiled and rubbed the pain out of his forehead.

“Anyway,” Ray scratched his forehead underneath the elastic strap and adjusted the camera. “Didn't Vecchio want to do the race with us?” Ray startled when the apartment door slammed shut behind him.

“No!” Ray Vecchio’s voice filled the apartment. “Mother Nature ate my shoe _once_ ,” he clapped Fraser on the shoulder and gave Kowalski a wicked grin. “I'm not voluntarily giving her any more.”

“How did you-” Kowalski held up a hand and shook his head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“You two do realize it’s raining cats and dogs out there, right?”

Ray shrugged. “Like that really matters when we are going to be running in the mud anyway.”

“I'm just saying it's going to be _more_ than a little muddy.” Vecchio rolled his wrist and checked the time. “Sorry I'm late. Stella couldn't find her sunglasses.”

“You’re not late,” Ray beamed as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and grabbed his own shades. “I was married to her. Remember? So, I learned after a few years, if you wanted to leave at ten, you told Stella nine forty.”

“I'll have to remember that.” Vecchio stared at the two men before him clad in running pants, tank tops and purple running shoes. “You two do realize you’re both forty, right?”

Kowalski shrugged his shoulders. “So what? We’re forty, not _dead_.”

“Well technically, Ray, I’m forty and you’re still thirty-nine.”

Vecchio rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying this might not be as easy as you think it’s going to be, that’s all.”

“Thank you for driving us, Ray,” Fraser said as he shoved two towels into Ray’s backpack. “It may only be three and a half miles but from the video I watched I doubt either one of us will have the energy to drive home.”

“Are you kidding, Benny?” Vecchio slung his arm over Fraser’s shoulder and escorted him towards the door. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Vecchio glanced over his shoulder to make sure Kowalski was following. “Do you know how many times I’ve ended up in a dumpster with this guy, my clothes totally ruined and his red suit and pumpkin pants didn’t have a single drop of disgusting goo on them anywhere. How is that?”

“Not a clue. Must be a Canadian thing.” Kowalski said as he pulled the door closed behind them and then promptly tuned Vecchio out because the man wouldn’t shut up about the amout of clothes he had ruined working with Fraser. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

~*~

Vecchio pulled up to the entrance of the Warrior Dash and all four occupants of the car gasped at the enormity of the event.

“Holy shit!” Vecchio exclaimed from the driver’s seat as he followed the ushers red flashlights to his appointed parking spot.

“What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?” Fraser asked as he scanned the various crowds of people both waiting to start and just finishing up their runs.

“I think you two may have bitten off more than you can chew.” Stella stated with a hint of a chuckle as she  flipped her sunglasses over her eyes and pulled her mud boots on tight. “Hope you brought a blanket to cover the back seat because from the looks of those people right there,” she pointed to a small group of participants hugging each other at the finish line completely covered from head to toe in mud. “I don’t think a shower is going to get all that mud off.”

“Come on,” Kowalski hopped out of the car and tugged on Fraser’s arm to get him to follow quickly. “We don’t have much time before our wave starts and we need to get our packets.”

“Right.” Fraser was finally able to pick his jaw up off the ground. “I’m-  oh dear,” he let a curse pass through his lips as he slid in the mud barely remaining upright. “I’m right behind you.”

Vecchio chuckled and opened up his umbrella. “I’ll meet you two at the starting line.” He hooked an arm through Stella’s. “This is going to be a total blast watching those two.”

“Which one do you think will complete the whole course?” Stella asked as she surveyed the spectators and the obstacles at the end of the race. “Oh my god-” she stopped when her eyes fell on a floating obstacle in the middle of a pond. “Does Ray know he has to swim?”

Vecchio blew out a breath. “I sure hope so. Otherwise Benny’s going to have his hands full.”

Kowalski and Fraser got their race packets and helped each pin each other’s bibs to their tank tops. The sky opened up and the rain poured down hard as they found Stella and Vecchio at the starting line.

“You two are going to do great,” Stella stated with a wide smile. She stepped forward and kissed Kowalski on the cheek and then repeated the gesture with Fraser.

“Thank you,” Fraser said trying to hide the shock from his face.

“Hey,” Vecchio pulled the camera off the top of Kowalski’s head. “Let me get a picture of the two of you before you start. You know, while you’re both clean.”

“Our wave is about to start,” Kowalski said as he tried to snatch the camera back.

“It will take two seconds.” Vecchio snapped the picture and pushed the button on the front of the waterproof case to return the camera to video mode. “There, when the race starts, all you have to do is push the button on the top and you’re good to go.” Vecchio clapped both men on the shoulders. “Good luck!”

“See you at the finish line.” Stella smiled and stepped out of the way.

Fraser leaned to his right and pulled Ray close. “You ready?”

“Hell yeah,” Kowalski yelled as the raindrops dripped from his ear lobes and the tip of his nose. Ray’s face froze. “You’re not going to leave me are you? I know you’re the stronger runner and all-”

“No, Ray. We stick together. You’re the other half of my duet.”

Ray leaned forward and kissed Fraser. This time Fraser didn’t care that he got smacked in the forehead with a waterproof camera. He pushed the record button on the top of the camera and they were off.

~*~

“Okay,” Ray stated a quarter of a mile into the race as they slid down the second mound of rippled mud. “This is not exactly what I had in mind when I signed up for this mud run.”

“What did you expect?” Fraser asked as he helped a young woman to her feet.

“Well,” Ray began as he rolled his eyes and they took off at a slow jog towards the next mud mound. “I wasn’t expecting to be running in three inches of mud the entire time. I thought the obstacles were the muddy part.”

Fraser chuckled and fell into step beside Ray. “I was thinking the same thing. I would say the promotional video left out a very important piece of the puzzle.”

“It is kinda fun though.” Ray grinned wide then grabbed Fraser’s elbow as he slipped to avoid falling. “When’s the last time you played in the mud for fun?”

“Not since I was a child.” Fraser slowed his jog and began walking.

“What’s wrong?” Ray asked as he fell into step with his partner. He followed Fraser’s eyes into the wooded area. “Oh my God. We have to climb that hill?”

“It would appear so, yes.” Fraser looked at his mud covered running shoes that bore little resemblance to the purple shoes he and Ray started the race with. “I’m thinking we need different shoes if we do this thing again next year.”

Ray watched as the participants before them struggled up the muddy incline. Some were forming human chains and pulling one another up, others were creating their own paths up the hill through the weeds. And the ones that were smart enough to have a trail running shoe that had enough grip, were running full bore up the middle of the muddy mess. “Okay,” Ray grumbled at the base of the hill. “Pick your poison. Right, left, or middle?”

Fraser surveyed the hill one last time. “We’re going up the right.” He fell into step with the person in front of him and used their footsteps to his advantage. “Try and put your foot where mine was,” he called to Ray as he ascended the hill, grabbing onto a tree root for support when he lost his footing. “It should have more traction.”

“Got it.” Ray followed close behind so as to not lose Fraser. When he got to the top he let out his own curse when he saw what lay before them. “Jesus, there was nothing about climbing ravines in the woods.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm his nerves. He was pumped up until they got to the hills and then all of his energy seemed to be sapped after climbing the first one. “So, what’s the game plan?”

“When you start to climb a hill,” Fraser began as they started descending the first of many hills. “The key is to keep moving, if you stop, you’ll slide right back down.” Fraser lost his footing and slid down the hill taking out a couple of runners with him. “I’m terribly sorry,” he said as he tried to get his feet under him.

“Hey, that’s what makes it fun,” the blond guy said as he pulled his girlfriend to her feet. “No harm done. We got down a lot faster than the rest of those guys. Bring on the next one!” And the two took off running and yelling what sounded like war cries.

“You okay?” Ray asked when he finally made it to the bottom of the hill still on his two feet.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

Ray flicked off a chunk of mud that was stuck to the side of Fraser’s neck. “You got a little mud on ya.”

Fraser surveyed his partner and broke out laughing. He stepped aside to let two aggressive runners past. “And look at you, hardly a drop of mud anywhere.” He wiped his muddy hands on his running pants and held them in front of the camera atop Ray’s head. “Look, Ray. I too am capable of getting dirty. I’m all muddy.”

“Vecchio’s going to love this video.” Ray motioned towards the next hill. “Come on, Frase.”

~*~

By the time the two men reached the first obstacle, their energy was spent from going up and down ravines in the wooded area of the course. They were grateful to be able to catch their breath while they waited for the other participants to clear the first obstacle.

“What’s the hold up?” Ray asked as he surveyed the runners huddled before the obstacle.

“Some guy got hurt on the other side.” Someone piped up from the front of the group.

“Think we should help?” Ray asked Fraser who was bent over trying to catch his breath.

Fraser stood up and glanced to the side of the obstacle where a team of medics had a guy on a stretcher ready for transport on the back of an ATV. “No, it looks like they have it under control.” He took a deep breath and waited for his and Ray’s turn to clear the eight foot obstacle. It was a slanted board, almost eight feet tall with a two by four nailed horizontally four foot across the entire length. “I’ll go up and help you over?” he suggested to Ray as they watched others struggle over the wood structure.

“That- yeah that sounds good.” Ray forced out a laugh. “Looked a little easier when I was watching the video from the comfort of the couch.”

Fraser tugged on his ear. “I was thinking the same thing.” He shrugged his shoulders and moved close to the front of the line. “But it can’t be any more difficult than climbing over roof tops, right?” When the coast was clear, Fraser made a run for it, jumped as high as his tired legs would allow and stuck his landing. His hand slipped and someone sitting on the top of the obstacle grabbed his forearm before he slid down to the ground. The stranger pulled with all his might helping Fraser to the top before turning and hopping to the ground. “Thank you!” Fraser called to the retreating man's back. He turned his attention to Ray. “You got this, just reach for my hand.”

Ray let out the breath he had been holding and ran. He jumped with everything he had left and was surprised when his foot hit the board. Fraser caught his outstretched hand and pulled him to the top. “One down, nine to go,” he exclaimed cheerfully. Fraser hopped down and Ray turned and helped the next runner to the top.

“Thanks,” the older guy said as he heaved his leg over the top and tried to catch his breath. “Wasn't sure I was going to make it over this first one.” He motioned towards the rest of the remaining course with a flick of his wrist. “My guys left me because I couldn't keep up running with them.”

“That's not cool.” Ray frowned and hopped off the structure followed by the man. “This is my partner, Ben. You're more than welcome to stick with us if you want.”

For the first time since he jumped onto the obstacle the older man looked hopeful. “You don't mind? I don't want to slow you down.”

Fraser got onto his hands and knees and climbed under the next obstacle. “Believe me, I think the two of us are done running.”

Ray raised his head to the heavens. “Thank you, Jesus!”

“I'm not stupid, Ray. We both have jobs to go back to on Monday and neither one of us can afford a broken neck by running and falling in the mud.”

“I’ll admit, the rain last night and this morning hasn't help improve the course conditions any.” The man held his hand out to Ray to helped him to his feet. “My name's John.”

Ray took the man's hand and was able to find his footing. “I'm Ray.” Ray scratched his ear and adjusted the camera on his head as the trio headed back into the woods towards another ravine. “The obstacles aren't what's going to kill us, it's the actual course that we weren't prepared for.”

Fraser nodded in agreement. “Even growing up in the Yukon didn't prepare me for climbing this muddy terrain. It's hilly there yes, but there wasn't three inches of mud trying to suck your shoes off your feet.”

Ray began to laugh as realization set in. Vecchio didn't have a thing for Fraser. No, Vecchio wanted Kowalski to wear the camera so he could see Fraser actually struggle at something. ‘Well,’ Kowalski thought to himself. ‘Two can play his game.’ He and Ben signed up for this race to have fun, to challenge one another and to strengthen their partnership. He wasn't going to let Vecchio take that away from them by poking fun at Fraser, even if it was only in fun. “Hey, Ben,” Ray grabbed Fraser's shoulder and pulled him to a stop before they got ready to climb their next hill. “You care if I take the lead?” Ray pointed to the camera on top of his head. “I want to get some clear shots of the terrain for Vecchio’s viewing pleasure. He wanted to see what the course was like, right?”

Fraser nodded and looked to John who was following close behind. “Ready when you are.”

~*~

For the next hour and a half, the three men ducked and weaved their way through the various obstacles and wooded terrain that made up the Warrior Dash. There were younger people all around them, older ones struggling but continuing on and on the rare occasion, Incredible Hulks who suddenly were afraid of heights and had to be helped off the obstacles by those less afraid to continue on. Ray, Fraser and John completed every obstacle they came across. They were on the back side of a cornfield when John started laughing aloud and pointed to a man in front of them. “I think that guy got lost on the way to the office.” In front of them was a middle aged man with a full beard wearing a three piece suit, hiking boots and carrying a leather briefcase shoulder bag. “To each his own,” John chuckled as they jogged past the man. “There were a few girls running around in tutus earlier.”

When they reached the pond with the float that you had to climb over, Ray froze.

“Oh God, Ben.” His knees began to shake as they moved closer to the water’s edge.

Fraser took hold of his elbow and turned to face him full on. “You got this, okay? Bloom, close, kick’em in the head. I’ll be right behind you if you get into trouble.” Fraser squeezed Ray’s shoulders. “Stay far enough away from the person in front of you that their feet don’t hit your hands.”

Ray blew out a shaky breath. “Okay. You’re behind me?” Fraser nodded. “Like, right behind me. Don’t let anyone in between us.”

“I promise. “I’m right behind you all the way.”

“Okay.” Ray took a step into the water, read the sign that said the water was forty feet deep and stopped. He turned around and Fraser could see the fear in his partner’s blue eyes slowly fade away and replaced with determination. “Bloom, close-”

“Kick’em in the head,” Fraser winked at Ray. “Give Ray and Stella a show. I can see them from here.”

Across the bank of the pond Ray and Stella Vecchio stood behind the red plastic tape separating the spectators from the participants. People were cheering loudly all around them. Stella’s heart skipped a beat when Ray stepped into the water and then sank when he turned back towards the bank. She was afraid he had caved, let the water win once again. To her shock, he spun around with determination, paddling across the water almost effortlessly. Fraser was hot on his heals. Once Ray reached the floating square, he pulled himself up and over and waited for Ben to reach him, helped him and John up onto the floatation device then dove back into the water to complete the obstacle. When he finally made it up onto the shore, Fraser pulled him into a tight hug and kissed him.

“Three more, Ben.” Ray stopped and stared at Fraser’s bib. “Hey, you’re about to lose your beer tag.”

Fraser looked down at his bib and promptly unpinned the corner, ran the pin through his beer tag and refastened it to his shirt. “I am not losing that.”

Ray turned and started towards the next obstacle. “But you don’t even drink beer.”

“Today I’m making an exception. If you can swim across a pond, I can drink a beer. We both deserve one after this run.”

“Hey,” Ray tugged on Fraser’s arm and let a few people run around them that were in a hurry to finish the last three obstacles. “We going to do this again next year?”

Fraser grinned wide. “This is the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life.”

Ray’s heart sank. Next year they would be another year older. Who was he kidding?

“But,” Fraser began, as he swiped a muddy finger across his brow. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Ray pointed to the spectators where Vecchio and Stella were watching. “He’s going to do it with us next year.”

“Three more then we’re going to get that beer.” Ray clapped both Fraser and John on the shoulders. “Ready fellas?”

“Game on!” shouted John as he took off running over the flaming fire pit that was the next obstacle. “Woo hoo!”

Fraser and Ray laughed as they followed the older man over the flames and up over the next obstacle. Ray was leery when they got to the top and he saw he had to go down a long slide into a pit of water again.

“You’ll go under but pop right back up, I promise. Bloom, close-”

“Kick’em in the head.” Ray smiled, sat down and followed Fraser into the water.

The final obstacle was a crawl through thick mud, warrior style under barbed wire. Nobody was making it out of the Warrior Dash without mud caked in places it shouldn’t be. By the end, Fraser and Ray could hear Vecchio and Stella cheering their names. They crawled out of the mud, exhausted but triumphant. They had both completed every obstacle. Both men walked to the finish line and bowed their heads as volunteers placed their Warrior Dash medals around their necks.

Ray turned to John and shook his hand. “Thanks for tagging along.”

“Thanks for letting me.”

Fraser pulled Ray into a fierce hug. “Thank you for forcing me to run in the mud with you.”

“Freak,” Ray said with affection before pulling Fraser in for a kiss. He didn’t care who was watching. The two of them just went through hell and back and came out stronger than before.

“You two were awesome!” Vecchio beamed with excitement. “Here, let me get your picture.”

Fraser and Ray stood shoulder to shoulder and displayed their medals proudly.

“Let’s get our beer, hose off and go home. I’m exhausted.”

“My sentiments exactly.”

~*~

Ray rolled over in bed the following morning and groaned. “What the fuck?” he rubbed his thigh muscle and then his calf muscle. “Ben,” he nudged Fraser in the side.

“Don’t touch me unless you plan on massaging every muscle in my body,” came a grumbled response.

“Can you move?”

“Not very well.” Fraser attempted to roll over and stopped when his thigh cramped up. “Screw it. I think I’ll just stay in bed all day.”

“God, whose dumb idea was this?” Ray asked aloud as he attempted to rub the tightness out of his leg.

Fraser quirked an eyebrow and then groaned. Even that hurt. He rubbed his temples. “I believe it was your idea.” He managed to roll over and face his partner. “You’re getting the ice bag right?” Fraser ran a finger down the length of Ray’s forearm. There was a bright red scrape from something, probably a branch in the woods, that they hadn’t noticed the day before. “Looks like you need some band-aids as well.”

Ray managed himself into a sitting position. “It was fun though, right?”

Fraser smiled. “It _was_ fun. Probably the most fun I’ve ever had.” Fraser groaned as he worked his stiff body into an upright position. “Well, it was until I tweaked my thigh muscle.”

“Stay here. I’ll get ice packs and Ibuprofen for both of us.” Ray left the bedroom and returned shortly with a bottle of pills, two bottles of water and an ice pack. He dumped the items on the bed and left again. He returned this time with his laptop and the memory card from the camera. He crawled back under the covers with Ben, dispensed a couple of pills out of the bottle for the both of them and placed the ice pack on Ben’s sore thigh. He opened the laptop and inserted the memory card. “Let’s see all our action. I can’t wait to show this to Vecchio.”

“It was a lot of fun. Even though we’re both banged up, I wouldn’t mind giving it another run next year.”

Ray grinned wide. “I was hoping you’d say that. After you fell asleep on the way home, both Stella and Ray were talking about joining us next year.” Ray cycled through the tabs on the laptop and finally found where the pictures were stored. “What the fuck?”

“What’s the matter?” Fraser adjusted the icepack to under his knee and grimaced in pain when he tried to move.

“That moron!” Ray turned the laptop so Fraser could see the screen. There were two pictures on the entire memory card.

“We didn’t get anything?” Fraser stared numbly at the screen. He felt like they had nothing to show for their two hour trek through the Warrior Dash and all Mother Nature had to throw at them.

“I’m going to kill him!” Ray slammed the laptop shut and cursed. “He just had to take our picture at the start of the race. I wore that fucking thing on my head for _two_ hours and all we got is a bloody picture of the start line.”

"There is a nice one of us together at the start line as well."

Ray just glared at Fraser.

Fraser settled against the headboard and tugged on his ear. He couldn’t help but let a smile tug on his lips. “Now we _have_ to do it again next year.”

  
  
  
<https://youtu.be/4O8zfXSAkoU>

 

 


End file.
